The Escape
by Sydney Bristow
Summary: A girl becomes aware of the Matrix. She has recurring dreams of a man in a black cloak. Who is he? What is the Matrix?
1. Chapter 1

(Author's Note: I don't own any of the "Matrix" or anything related to them. They belong to the Wachowski brothers and Warner Brothers. Again, I don't own any of them. I'm just a 14-year-old girl who wishes she owned Keanu Reeves)  
  
Chapter 1  
  
"Sydney!!! Sydney, get up!!" Sydney opened her eyes slowly. She realized that it was morning. She groaned and turned over. She threw her blanket over her head to block out the sunlight pouring into her room. Her mother came in and pulled the blanket off.  
  
"Up," she said and left.  
  
"Mom!" Sydney yelled after her. She dragged herself to the washroom. It was another stupid day for her. She hated school and her life. It was the same thing over and over every damn day. She knew there was something was wrong. She knew that there had to be more to life than school and money. She dreaded school. She didn't have any friends there and she hated everyone else. She went downstairs and grabbed her backpack. She left without saying a word or eating breakfast. She walked to her car and drove off.  
  
Sydney glared at all the rich girls and boys who passed her. Sydney had to admit that she was rich, too. But, she wasn't like those other superficial, spoiled people who flaunted their shiny gadgets in front those who weren't rich. She wanted to slap them. Didn't they realize that there was a huge world out there, much more bigger than this stupid university and being smart and getting rich? School was going to end in three months. They seriously needed to get a life.  
  
School was a bore to her. Would she need to know all this stuff in her future? Of course she did. After all, she was going to be a doctor. That was according to her mother, who had her future all laid out for her. Well, she questioned her future. After all, it wasn't really her future, since she never decided that for herself. She struggled to stay awake because her biology teacher was like an engine that couldn't and wouldn't turn off. Sydney stared out the window and started to daydream. A man popped up in her head. He was tall and wearing a dark cloak with dark sunglasses. He was fighting two other men. They wore suits and dark sunglasses, too. The man with the dark cloak was amazing. He spun, kicked, blocked and punched before the other two could even touch him. It's like he knew what their next move was going to be. The two men were knocked out in a minute. The man took his glasses off and called out, "Sydney...Sydney..." Suddenly, a loud bell started ringing. Sydney jerked in her seat and realized that class was over. She looked at her notebook and saw that she had written the word "Neo" all over her paper. She shook her head and gathered her books.  
  
After lunch was a free period. She decided to go to the track. Her mother was always nagging her to stay fit.  
  
Sydney warmed up and took her position at the starting point. She took off really fast. She was almost sprinting. The wind whistled in her ears as she ran faster and faster. Everything became a blur around her. All she could see was the track in front of her. She could just see that the finish point was coming closer and closer. She passed some other people who were on the track and before she knew it, she back on at the starting point again. She saw the athletic director hurrying after her.  
  
'Oh, damn it. Am I in trouble again?'  
  
"Where did you learn to run like that?" he asked her. Sydney shrugged. "You are going to be on the school's relay team," he said before she could protest. She didn't want to be on the relay team.  
  
"I don't want to be on the relay team, sir," she said. He stared at her.  
  
"But, you have to be! You run faster than anyone I've ever seen. I don't know how I didn't notice your talent before."  
  
"I'm not going to be on the relay team," Sydney said firmly and walked off.  
  
"Think about it!" he yelled after her.  
  
After her other classes, the day was over. 'Finally,' she thought. She walked to her car. As she got into her car, she saw a man coming out of his. He looked like he was from the daydream she had in class. She couldn't tell, but she felt like he was watching her. She looked away. The man was making her uncomfortable. As she drove off, the man got back into his car.  
  
Sydney parked the car in the garage. She went inside and went to the living room. She fell on the couch and sighed.  
  
"How was school?" her mother asked.  
  
"It was okay," she said simply. Sydney turned the television on.  
  
"By the way, Lauren and her parents are coming over on Saturday," her mother said. Sydney sat upright in disbelief.  
  
"Lauren? Blond and Bitchy Lauren?" she said loudly.  
  
"Honey, that's rude. I don't want you talking like that in front of them." Sydney ignored her.  
  
"Why are they coming over? You know I don't like them," Sydney said angrily.  
  
"Well, when you grow up, you're going to have to work with people you don't like," her mother said in a matter-of-factly voice.  
  
"Fine, I'll just go out to the mall by myself when they come over."  
  
"No, you're not. You are going to stay here, have dinner with them, and enjoy their company." Sydney turned the TV off and sighed.  
  
"Whatever..." She got up and went to her room. She turned her computer on and checked her e-mail. She didn't have any. She decided to do her homework. While she was finishing a lab report for chemistry, she noticed the house was deadly silent. She went downstairs and noticed it was dark.  
  
"Hello?" she called out. "Mom?" There was no answer. Suddenly, a hand tapped her shoulder. She screamed.  
  
"Honey?" it was her dad. Sydney sighed with relief.  
  
"Where's Mom?"  
  
"Oh, she went out shopping. I was taking a nap."  
  
"Shopping? This late?" Sydney asked incredulously. Her dad shrugged.  
  
"You know how she is..." her dad said.  
  
Sydney nodded and sighed from relief again. She went back upstairs. She sat down and noticed a small brown envelope peeking out from under her textbook. She pulled it and it had her name written out on the front. She opened it and there was a small plain note. It said: "We're out there. Neo." She stared with wide eyes at the note. What did it mean? What was going on? She looked at the time. It was only 7 p.m. She turned her computer on again. The screen stayed black. Sydney tried to restart it, but nothing happened. Suddenly, words appeared.  
  
"We're out there." Sydney started breathing hard. Her palms started to sweat. She looked behind her, towards the window. When she turned back, the words were gone. Strange things had been happening to her lately. She couldn't explain what it was. There was something wrong. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
"Don't let her wake up...Don't let her wake up..." voices screamed and whispered at her. Sydney saw formless faces, heard silently shrieking voices. Then, she saw a man appear out of the chaos. It was the same man from her daydreams. She was so happy to see him for some reason. He came towards her and extended his hand for her to take. She turned to grab his hand, but her fingers barely touched his when she started to fall into infinite darkness.  
  
Sydney woke up with the sun shining on her face. She touched her head. How come she couldn't remember what had happened last night? The last thing she did remember was the note and the strange thing that happened with her computer. Her head hurt. She could hear the blood pulsing inside her veins in her temple. Her breathing became ragged and short. She wanted to sleep again. She sank deeper into her pillow and fell asleep again.  
  
When she woke up, she glanced at her watch. She looked at her calendar. 'Oh, Thank God. It's Saturday,' she thought. She went downstairs to make some food for herself. She sat and ate in front of the TV. There was a small report on some girl who had run away.  
  
'How sad...I wonder how the parents are feeling. Where's the girl? Why would she run away like that?' Suddenly, her cell phone rang. Who would be calling her cell phone if her parents knew she wasn't out? She hesitantly picked it up.  
  
"Hello?" she asked. She started to sweat again.  
  
"Hello, Sydney," a man's voice said. Sydney's eyes widened in fear and surprise. She didn't know how, but she knew who this was. This was the man from her dreams. This was Neo.  
  
"Neo?" she asked in a very breathless voice. There was silence for a moment.  
  
"Yes...You must be careful. They are going to try to kill you. Be very careful." Then, he hung up.  
  
"Wait! Who's going to kill me?! WHY?!?!?!" she screamed into her phone. She threw it into a cushion in frustration. She wanted to scream. What was happening to her?! Or more importantly, WHY was this happening to her? She wanted to know. She picked her phone up again to see if she could find the number. She couldn't. She put her head in her hands and closed her eyes. She took a few deep breaths. She had to calm down. She knew it had to do with this "Matrix". Too many questions, yet so little answers.  
  
She decided to go for a jog. It was such a nice day. She had too much excess energy. The rhythmic beating of her feet against the pavement, her breathing, and the fluidity of her movements calmed her. She closed her eyes and let the wind wash over her. She stopped at a nearby park to rest. She stretched to relax her muscles and then sat down on the grass.  
  
She watched little kids playing with their dogs. It was so idyllic. The little girls wore pastel coloured dresses with lacy collars. The little boys wore white shirts with beige shorts and the like. They were all smiles and giggles. Even the dogs seemed happy. Their shiny coats glistened in the sun. That was all mixed in with the green grass and the shady oak trees. Their branches extended far, as if they were protecting the children and their innocence. Sydney couldn't help but smile a bit. They were so...well, innocent. It was kept inside them. But, eventually, they would lose that innocence and become tainted with the rest of the world.  
  
Suddenly, she noticed a moving figure behind the children. It was covered partly by the shade of the trees. But, when it stepped out into the sun, it caused her to jump. A man came forward. He stood out so sharply because he was the opposite of the scene in front of Sydney. He was tall, wearing dark clothes, and sharp looking. Sydney frantically stood up. It was the man the man with the dark cloak had been fighting! She turned and saw another coming from the other direction. Again, she turned. There were more. They were coming. Suddenly, her cell phone rang. Should she pick it up? She did.  
  
"Run." Sydney didn't need to be told twice. She took off in a random direction. She hoped she wouldn't run into any of them.  
  
"What the fuck is going on?!" she shrieked into her phone.  
  
"This is no time for questions," Neo said simply. God! He was frustrating her. She kept running. She weaved in between people, yelling into her phone. She accidentally knocked over an old lady.  
  
"Listen, buster. I am running for my life here. I demand to know what is going on!" She looked behind her. She could see the old lady struggling to get up. When she did, she turned into one of the men and he started chasing her.  
  
"What the hell?!"  
  
"You will know what you need to know when the time is right. Turn right." Sydney made a sharp right turn and found herself in an alleyway between two houses.  
  
"Stay there." Sydney breathed through her mouth to prevent any noise. She crouched down behind an air conditioner. It whirred loudly in her ears and she breathed heavily to catch her breath. She saw the two men run past the two houses. She sighed a huge sigh of relief and put the phone to her ear. He had hung up. Sydney sat there for a long time, wondering what the hell was going on with her.  
  
Meanwhile, the agents were talking to each other. One of them, clearly the leader, was angry.  
  
"How did we lose her? We had her!" he yelled at the others.  
  
"She ran faster than normal humans could."  
  
"How is that possible?" The other agents didn't answer.  
  
Sydney took a long route home. She walked through alleyways, behind trees and between large buildings so she wouldn't be seen. She was extremely paranoid now. She just needed to know. She hoped this Neo would call her again. Because she needed answers. And she needed them now. 


	3. Chapter 3

(Author's note: I hope the second chapter was a bit more fast-paced. Heehee. Oh, yay! Reviews! *Hands out cookies to Angel-of-Lightness and Calliope* Anyways...here's the third chapter. Enjoy.)  
  
Chapter 3  
  
She lay with wide opened eyes in her bed. She was too scared to go to sleep. Men were out there, trying to find her and kill her. Would they attack her in her own house in her own bed? She wasn't sure if she had seen them with guns, but she was sure they had them. She looked at her clock. It was midnight. She couldn't sleep. She refused to.  
  
She sat her desk and pulled out a small notebook. It was her notebook of her random thoughts and ideas. She turned the pages, glancing at some of the older stuff she had written in there. The more recent pages were filled with dark lines and illegible writing. It was filled with numerous questions, like, "Who is Neo?" and "Is the Matrix real?". One of them had nothing except "WHAT IS THE MATRIX?" in dark bold letters.  
  
She turned it to a new page and stared at it. It stared back at her with its glaring whiteness. She took a pencil and started to draw random lines everywhere. Eventually, she started drawing Neo. After a while, she finished his chiselled features and his hair. But, she didn't know what his eyes were like because in her dreams, he was always wearing sunglasses. She drew his mouth and nose. She didn't want to draw sunglasses because she thought it would make him look untrustworthy and evil. So, she left it blank. She stared at it for a long time. A man's head with only his hair, nose and mouth. She tore it out of her notebook and folded it twice. She slipped it into her pocket and looked at another blank page. It was waiting to be filled by her thoughts, her feelings, her words.  
  
She rested her head in her arms on her desk. She draped a sweater over herself. She lay like that for several hours. She was in a place between sleep and consciousness. She just lay with her eyes open, but not seeing. She was hearing, but not listening.  
  
Finally, after long hours, morning finally came. The sun peeked over the horizon and was like a person stretching after they woke up. Then, grey clouds started to invade the sky. Sydney looked outside. It looked like it might rain.  
  
Soon, the rain came pouring down on the city. Sydney realized she had to go to the university to check out some books for her project. She started the car and started to drive. She nervously checked her mirrors every few second for anything suspicious. She kept thinking every single car was following her.  
  
She stopped at a red light and gripped the wheel. She watched the rain beat against her windshield and the windshield wipers move back and forth. She watched the move back and forth...back and forth...back and forth. It started to slow down and she could see every little raindrop falling and hitting her window. Suddenly, the car behind her honked his horn and Sydney jumped. She saw that the light had turned green and started to drive again.  
  
It was still raining when Sydney got to the university. She parked the car and ran up to the university library's big doors. She pulled one open and walked inside. She was grateful to be out of the rain. She walked to the elevators and pressed "Floor 5". That was the science and technologies floor. The doors opened and Sydney walked out.  
  
It was horribly silent in the library. But, that's the why people liked it. She walked over to one of the huge shelves and started to look for books. She pulled out some books with titles relating to her science project topic and skimmed through them. She noticed one book that had an "M" on the side of it. That meant it belonged in the mathematics section. She pulled it out and stared at the title. It said, "Understanding the Matrix and More Advanced Calculus".  
  
She opened it and started to read it. It talked about stuff she already knew from calculus class. Her cell phone rang. Everyone looked up and glared at her. Sydney blushed a little and picked it up.  
  
"Hello?" she whispered.  
  
"Hello, Sydney," Neo answered. She quickly ducked into an empty study booth.  
  
"Are they after me again?" she asked urgently.  
  
"No. But, they will be if you don't listen to what I say." Sydney thought for a moment.  
  
"What do I have to do?" she asked confidently.  
  
"Go to the door that's marked 'Employees Only'. Then, take the elevator inside to the basement. Go to the third door on your left."  
  
"Gee, genius. What if they catch me?" Sydney asked sarcastically.  
  
"They won't." Then, he hung up. Sydney got out of the study booth and looked around. She could see the door. She looked around again to make sure no one was watching her. When she reached the door, she gripped the door knob tightly and turned it. It opened. She looked inside and saw no one.  
  
It was a large room with shelves of books and several computers. There was also a coffee maker. She saw the elevator and walked straight for it. She pressed the down button and waited anxiously. The doors opened and Sydney ran inside. She hurriedly pressed the "Basement" button and repeatedly pressed the "Close Doors" button. When they closed, she sighed in relief.  
  
The doors opened again when it reached the basement. Sydney ran down the hall to the third door. She stood outside, breathing hard. Her heart was beating rapidly. If she opened the door, then she would finally meet Neo and get all the answers. But, what if the answers hurt her or someone else? What if they weren't what she was expecting? But, if she didn't open it, she could get killed by those men. She closed her eyes and turned the knob. She pushed the door open.  
  
She opened her eyes and saw three chairs in a small circle. Two men were sitting in two of them. One of them was Neo. The other, she didn't recognized. They both smiled.  
  
"Hello, Sydney," Neo said.  
  
(Dun dun dun....cliffhanger...watch out for chapter 4, coming soon!) 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
Sydney stared at the both of them. The other man motioned to the other chair. She wasn't sure if she should trust him, but if he was Neo, she might as well. She sat down on the other chair.  
  
"Who are you?" she asked the other man.  
  
"My name is Morpheus," he said. He looked at Neo.  
  
"How-how come I don't know you?" she asked him.  
  
"I don't know. You were supposed to." Neo cleared his throat.  
  
"You want to know what the Matrix is?" he asked, turning to Sydney. Sydney nodded slowly.  
  
"Are we the only ones who know?" she asked them.  
  
"No, there are others. Many others. But, compared to the people who are in the Matrix, there are few," Morpheus said. Sydney took a deep breath to calm herself. She was nervous and excited at the same time.  
  
"Is it one of those things that you can't be just told about?" Morpheus chuckled.  
  
"Yes." Sydney nodded. Neo and Morpheus leaned forward.  
  
"Are you willing to give up all that you have to find out the truth? Because there is no turning back after this." Sydney was silent for a moment. Was she ready? She wasn't sure. Then, she got this feeling in the pit of her stomach. The feeling you get when you really want something and you just have to get. She looked up at them.  
  
"Yes. Yes, I am." Morpheus gave a small smile. They got up and walked to another door. Sydney followed them. They opened it and entered a room filled with computers and wires. Morpheus sat down at the computer and took out his cell phone. Neo pointed to a chair and Sydney sat down. Morpheus took out his cell phone and dialled someone.  
  
"Link? We need a location soon. Good." He hung up and typed something into the computer. He nodded to Neo. He took out a briefcase and pulled out a needle filled with a clear liquid. Sydney suddenly got scared, but trusted Neo. He was sure he knew what he was doing. He rolled up her sleeve and injected the liquid into her. Almost immediately, the drug began to take effect. Her vision became blurred and she started to sweat. She thought she was going into an epileptic fit, but instead, blackness started to surround her and cover her. The last thing she saw and heard was Morpheus saying to Neo, "We have a location."  
  
Sydney's eyes opened slowly. She was lying down. She coughed and a bubble came out of her mouth. She felt slimy gelatine between her legs and all over her body. She looked around and saw she was in a metal skeleton- like container. On the inside of the metal was a red slippery skin and inside that was her and the gelatine. She saw wires grafted into her skin all over her naked body. She started to thrash and the red skin of the container burst, like when you push your finger through the plastic in a plastic bag. She sat up and started breathing deeply for air. The wires popped out of her body violently. She felt extremely weak and couldn't bare sit up. She looked around with squinted eyes and nearly fainted in shock when she saw thousands, maybe millions, of the same red egg-shaped containers surrounding her.  
  
She heard a loud whirring and saw the biggest mechanical looking bug she'd ever seen. It looked at her curiously and grabbed her with mechanical hands. It shone an extremely bright light into her eyes, which made her scream in pain. Her throat hurt when she did. Then, it let go of her and she fell back into the gelatine. A hole opened up at one end of the container and sucked all the gelatine like a vacuum. She screamed as she slid down a long tube. It was like one of those water slides at the pool. She fell into a large pool of black and silvery liquid. She struggled to stay on the surface, but her muscles made her feel extremely tired and weak. It was dark and she couldn't see. She was sure she was going to drown.  
  
A shaft opened up above her. A large mechanical hand came down over her. She tried to swim away from it, but she wasn't fast enough. It grabbed her and pulled her out of the liquid. She fainted while it took her up.  
  
When she woke up, she saw Neo standing over her. She was still naked, save for a blanket covering her from her shoulders to her knees. She noticed Neo's eyes for the first time. They were deep and brown. They looked like they were always thinking about something. She tried to talk, but her throat wouldn't let her. Instead, a croaking sound came out. She started to drift in and out of consciousness. Finally, she fell into a coma-like sleep.  
  
Sydney opened her eyes. She expected them to hurt, but they didn't. She realized she was lying on a cot. She sat up and discovered she was wearing clothes. They looked extremely old, but at least they covered her. She rolled up the sleeves and was shocked to discover small plastic holes that were stuck to her skin. She put her hand to her back and felt them. She touched one on her arm. She wondered if she could take them out. She fingered it and wondered how they got there. She brushed the hair out of her face and lay down again.  
  
The door opened with a heavy and loud clank. Neo stood in the doorway. He was also dressed in old looking clothing. He didn't look at all like the way she had seen him in her dreams.  
  
"What's happened to me?" she asked him. She was also surprised that she could speak. But, her throat felt hoarse when she did. Neo turned and walked away. Sydney got up and followed him. She discovered that she was in something that was moving. The place was horribly cramped. There were a lot of wires everywhere and mechanical looking things.  
  
She realized Neo had stopped walking. She stood in front of a small group of people. One man sat in front of a dozen monitors with green lines of a strange looking language streaming down them. Morpheus and Neo stood beside a woman. She had sharp features and short black hair. Sydney noticed her holding hands with Neo as he joined her. Morpheus stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Sydney...welcome..." he said.  
  
"Are you going to tell me what the hell has happened to me?" Sydney asked. She tried to stay calm. She took deep breaths to clear her mind.  
  
"I'm Trinity. Obviously, you've met Neo and Morpheus," the other woman said to her. Morpheus motioned to one of the seats. They reminded Sydney of the chairs at the dentist, except they had a toilet bowl shaped cushion to rest your head on.  
  
Sydney sat down and put her feet on the foot pedals. Trinity strapped her feet and her arms. Sydney leaned back and rested her head on the cushion. Trinity took out a huge looking needle which almost made Sydney die of a heart attack. She hated looking at needles. Trinity reached behind her and pushed the needle into one of the holes on the back of her head. 


	5. Chapter 5

(Author's note: This chapter is kind of boring and Animatrix-ish because Sydney is told of the Matrix. Oh, just read! Remember, please R&R. Thank you, I love all of you who reviewed this! *Hands out cookies to rest of the reviewers* I still wish I owned Keanu Reeves. Sigh.)  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Sydney felt a whoosh of air push against her. She felt like she was on a roller coaster that was travelling at light speed. She blinked and when she opened her eyes, she was in the middle of the city again. She looked around and saw normal looking people walking around in a normal looking city. She looked down at herself. She was wearing normal looking clothes. She turned around and saw Morpheus, Neo and Trinity standing behind her. They were wearing black clothing and dark sunglasses. It felt like a dream.  
  
"No, it's not a dream. But, that's what it's supposed to be. This will be hard to accept, Sydney."  
  
"Lots of things are hard to accept."  
  
"But, what I am about to tell you can drive you to insanity."  
  
"Yes, it can. But, it doesn't mean it will," Sydney said. She and Morpheus stared each other down. Morpheus turned and walked into an old apartment building. Sydney followed him and Neo and Trinity walked behind her. They entered the building and walked into a door. The room was empty except for a projector screen, a projector reel and a chair. Sydney sat down on the chair. The projector whirred and clicked to life. It stalled for a few moments before the picture was displayed clearly on the screen. The picture was a cartoon of a man and robot that looked like a servant.  
  
"Around the end of the twenty-first century, humankind created robots and artificial intelligence. However, this AI created a whole new species of different organisms. The AI worked tirelessly for the humans. One day, a robot stood up against his own masters and killed them." Another picture popped up. It showed a robot in front of a bloodied mess that once was a living man.  
  
"The robot was tried and the government ordered that all the robots to be destroyed." A picture popped up onto the screen. It showed thousands of robots in gigantic piles. Sydney knew they were nothing but scrap metal, but they looked like dead mutilated humans.  
  
"After that, some of the robots broke away and created their own nation. However, the humans refused to co-operate with them. Eventually, a war began between the humans and the machines. We found out that they were dependent on solar energy and destroyed the sky." A picture of a black stormy sky was displayed. Sydney stared wide-eyed. She couldn't register any of it.  
  
"The machines captured humans and studied our simple bodies. They found out that we produce more energy than a 120-volt battery. So, they had found their new power source." This time, the picture was of a robot probing a man's brain. Sydney felt her stomach churning. A picture of the enormous fields of containers came up. Sydney started to breathe hard.  
  
"So...your question is: What is the Matrix? It is nothing more than a box created to keep us distracted from the truth. But, the irony of it is that it is so obvious that we don't see it. After all, why are there so many boundaries and rules that we must follow in this world?" Sydney stared with an open mouth up at Morpheus.  
  
"So...we are nothing more than batteries for these machines?" she asked in a small voice. "It's not real?"  
  
"I told you it wouldn't be easy to accept." She stood up abruptly and knocked a chair over. Neo and Trinity glanced at each other. It was too much for her. It couldn't be true. She burst from the room and out of the building. She tripped and tumbled down the stairs in front of the building. A thin line of blood trickled down the side of her mouth. She looked at the people passing her. They weren't real. They just weren't real. Did they know? How could they not? The thoughts were in a jumble in her brain. She grabbed her head and looked up at the sky. It wasn't real!!!!  
  
Sydney fell to her knees and started screaming. She hit the concrete with her hands until her knuckles started bleeding. Neo, Trinity and Morpheus came running out of the building. Neo grabbed her. Sydney tried to punch him, but she was too tired.  
  
"Let go of me, you little bastard!!!!" she screamed. She spit and her blood landed on his shoulder. She tried to beat him with her fists, but he was too strong for her. She crumpled and sobbed until she felt like she was going to faint.  
  
"It's not true...no, it can't be..." she mumbled.  
  
"We've got to get her out."  
  
"I told you it was going to be a mistake to unplug her," Trinity said to Morpheus.  
  
"Well, this is how I reacted when I was unplugged," Neo said.  
  
"Yes, but it was not as violent. She started screaming and hurting herself," Morpheus said, pointing at her knuckles. He took his phone out. "Link, we need an exit," he said. He nodded to Neo and Trinity. They followed him down the street. Sydney kept on mumbling, "It's a lie...it's not true...I'm dreaming," in Neo's arms. They reached a telephone booth. It started ringing and Neo put the phone to Sydney's ear. She evapourated and the phone fell from Neo's hand.  
  
Sydney woke up on the chair with a gasp. Link took the restraints off as Neo, Trinity and Morpheus woke up. Sydney stood up and grabbed a monitor for support.  
  
"You're lying," she said in a drunken voice. She could barely stand up. Her knees buckled and she fell to the ground. She could taste blood in her mouth. She sat there for a few moments before she started crying. It was soft crying, like when you're really sad. It wasn't like when you were angry and screaming at the same time. Neo sat down beside her.  
  
"Hey, it's okay. I know how you feel. I really do because this is how I reacted when I first learned about it." Sydney looked at him with her tear-streaked eyes. His eyes showed sympathy and compassion. She sniffled and got up. She walked to her room without looking back at them.  
  
Sydney lay on her cot, thinking. In a strange, bizarre way, everything Morpheus had told her felt true. It made sense to her. She didn't understand why she had not been able to see it before. She turned over and pulled the ragged blanket around her. She closed her eyes and fell asleep. 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
Sydney lay awake on her cot. She had slept for only a few hours. She couldn't go back to sleep. All she could think about was what Morpheus had told her. It made sense. She knew that. But, she had a hard time accepting it. She sat up and wrapped the blanket more tightly around her. She stood up and tied her boots on. She opened the door and walked out.  
  
The ship was quiet, except for the whirring and clanking of the ship's engines. She walked to the chairs and the monitors. She was surprised to find Neo in front of them. He was drinking from a cup and staring at them. He turned and was also surprised to see her.  
  
"Can't sleep?" he asked.  
  
"How can I? After what happened?" she asked back in a quiet voice. She sat down on one of the chairs and stared at her feet.  
  
"I still can't sleep sometimes. I come here and look at what's happening," Neo said, pointing at the monitors. Sydney got up and walked over to them. Endless streams of data flew across the screen.  
  
"What is that? Is that a machine language or something?" she asked. She felt silly for asking, but she was curious. Neo laughed.  
  
"No, it's the code the Matrix is written in."  
  
"Can you read it?" she asked. He nodded and Sydney stared at the monitors again.  
  
"Wow...how do you read it?" she asked him. She felt odd asking him all these questions. She couldn't help it.  
  
"Well, your brain gets used to it. Eventually, it just decodes it by itself." Sydney nodded. She wondered how that worked, but stopped herself from asking him.  
  
"What happens when a person is unplugged?"  
  
"Usually, in the Matrix, the person is believed to be missing and never found. Or the machines delete them permanently from the Matrix and it's as though they never existed. But, they usually just make it as if the person's gone missing. Less work that way."  
  
"And what about those men? Who are they?"  
  
"They are agents. They're programs created to guard the Matrix and make sure that everything functions the way it's supposed. They also try to prevent anyone from waking up. That's why they were after you."  
  
"And how come I tasted blood in my mouth if it wasn't real?" she asked.  
  
"Well, the mind perceives it as real and interprets it as real. So, it tells the body that it's real. That's why you react to whatever happens to you there here." Sydney realized what that meant. If you died there, you died here.  
  
"How were you unplugged?" Sydney asked him. She was wondering about that. Neo smiled.  
  
"It's a long story."  
  
"We have the whole night," Sydney said. She smiled for the first time ever since she'd been unplugged.  
  
"Well," Neo started. "I was just an ordinary guy. Then, I knew that there was something called the Matrix and I had to find Morpheus to find out what it was. I spent several years searching for him. But, I didn't know that he was searching for me at the same time. Finally, I met Trinity and Morpheus. I was unplugged and I've been here ever since."  
  
"Isn't there more?" she asked him. He looked at her with a surprised look. "I mean, I had dreams of you. I saw only you. In one of my dreams, I was being attacked by those men and you came to save me." Neo sighed. Now, he knew how Morpheus had felt when he told him that he was the One.  
  
"Well, after I was unplugged, Morpheus told me that I was the One. The One was the only person born inside the Matrix who could destroy it."  
  
"Wait. What does that mean?"  
  
"Well, right now, the humans are still at war with the machines. If the Matrix is destroyed, that would mean the end of the war," Neo explained.  
  
"Oh...wow. What do you say to something like that?" Sydney mused out loud. They both heard faint footsteps and saw Trinity. Sydney stood up.  
  
"Neo? What are you doing? You should be resting," Trinity said. Neo got up and slipped a hand around her waist. He kissed her cheek. Sydney wasn't sure how she should feel. She had to admit, she liked Neo. But, in which way?  
  
"I-I'm sorry. I couldn't s-sleep and I was just t-talking..." Sydney stuttered. She hoped Trinity didn't think she was trying to steal Neo away from her.  
  
"Come on, Trin. I'll go back to bed with you," Neo whispered and they both left. Sydney stood there, dumbly. She dragged herself to her room. She lay down on the cot, the lights flickering. Sydney chewed her lower lip. The flickering lights stopped and she lay in the dark. 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
  
The next morning, Sydney awoke and got up. She opened the door and walked to the chairs and monitors. She saw Trinity coming out of a door she didn't notice before.  
  
"Hey! Want some breakfast?" Trinity asked her. Sydney walked over to her and entered what she assumed was mess hall. There was a counter and a table with a few chairs around it. There were two faucet-looking things attached to the ceiling and came down all the way to nearly eye-level with Sydney. Trinity turned one of them and white glop came out of it into a silver container. She gave it to Sydney and handed her a spoon. It jiggled when she put it on the table.  
  
Sydney poked it with her spoon and put a small spoonful of it. It looked like rice with small red beads in water. She found it was tasteless and you had to chew the small red beads because they were hard.  
  
"Erm...what is it?" she asked.  
  
"It's some combo of vitamins and minerals or some other shit like that," Neo said. Sydney ate it hungrily even though it wasn't real food. She just needed something for her stomach to digest. As she ate, she secretly watched Trinity and Neo. They were sitting next to each other, but were busy eating. She still didn't know exactly how she felt about this. When she finished eating, she put it on the counter with everyone else's containers. She followed them to the cockpit.  
  
"Sydney, we have to get you to Zion," Morpheus told her.  
  
"Zion?"  
  
"Zion is the last human city that exists." Sydney looked at him.  
  
"Why?" she asked.  
  
"Because it's not safe for you to stay here." Sydney's face fell. She wanted to stay. But, maybe it would be better if she went to the city. Neo noticed her sad face.  
  
"We could use another crew member," Neo said. Sydney looked at him and smiled gratefully. She turned to Morpheus. He sighed and said, "Fine."  
  
For the next few days, Sydney underwent long hours of training and how to defend herself within the Matrix. She learned karate, tae kwon do, boxing, kung fu, judo and several other forms of martial arts. She also learned about how to assemble and use guns and pursuit and evasion driving techniques. Neo helped her during all of the programs. She was glad he did because she felt safe every time he was around her.  
  
It was so exciting for her. She had also seen Neo flying. The scariest training program she went through was the agent training program. She learned that they could move through any program and become any person. That's why she had seen that old lady she knocked over turn into an agent.  
  
One night, as she lay in bed, she thought of her parents. She wondered what they were doing. Had she been reported missing or did they not remember her at all? She wanted to know. Of course, she missed her home and her bed. She actually missed school and her boring classes. A tear rolled down her cheek. She refused to cry again. 'It's not real,' she told herself. She clenched her jaw to stop any tears from coming. She closed her eyes and forced herself to go to sleep.  
  
The next morning, Sydney got up and ate breakfast. Morpheus told everyone to meet at the plug-in site. Everyone gathered around the chairs.  
  
"Okay, everyone. We're going in."  
  
"The Oracle?" Neo asked.  
  
"Who's the Oracle?" Sydney asked, sitting down on one of the chairs. Neo smiled.  
  
"You'll find out soon enough." A few moments later, they were inside a car. Sydney was dressed in a tight black t-shirt and black baggy pants. She wore a flowing black coat. Her hair was put in a bun, but not completely. It was tied so that the ends of her hair stuck out in all directions. She even had sunglasses.  
  
Sydney stared out the window. She was squished into the back with Neo and Trinity. They didn't talk much. They stopped in front of a derelict building and got out. Trinity stayed in the car. She jumped into the driver's seat.  
  
"We'll be back soon," he said. She nodded and drove away. 'Maybe, she's gone to find a parking space,' Sydney said. She didn't voice this. Every time she said something she was feeling, she always felt stupid and annoying to them. So, she kept quiet.  
  
They went up to the seventh floor and stopped in apartment #702. Neo opened the door and walked in. It was a small apartment. There was a door on the right as soon as you entered. It looked like a kitchen. The hall extended to a living room. Morpheus closed the door. There were a few chairs across from the apartment. They sat down in those.  
  
"What does she do?" Sydney asked.  
  
"Her purpose is different for each person."  
  
"Is the she the one who told you about the One?" she asked. Morpheus looked at her. "Neo told me," she said.  
  
"Yes, she was." They sat in silence for a few minutes. Finally, Neo finally came out. They stood up to leave, but Neo stopped them.  
  
"She wants to see Sydney," he said. Sydney looked at him in surprise. Morpheus nodded and Sydney walked up to the door. She opened it and entered. A woman's voice said, "Come in." Sydney walked into the kitchen. A fifty-to-sixty year old black woman sat at a table, smoking. Sydney wasn't sure what to do, but she took her sunglasses off.  
  
"So, you're Sydney," the Oracle said. "It's so nice to meet you."  
  
"You, too," Sydney said. The Oracle stood up and looked at Sydney closely.  
  
"Well, now. How do you feel?"  
  
"Um...fine, considering everything that's happened since I've been unplugged," she replied. The Oracle nodded.  
  
"You like him, don't you?" the Oracle asked. Sydney did a double- take.  
  
"Do you mean Neo?" Sydney wasn't sure if she could lie.  
  
"It's okay. You don't have to lie. Whatever is said here doesn't go past that door," the Oracle said.  
  
"Yes, I do," she said finally. "But, he loves Trinity. He won't ever have feelings for me the way he does for Trinity."  
  
"Observant, ain't you? Well, life can't always go our way. Now, you know that, don't you?" she said to Sydney, looking at her over the top her glasses. "How old are you?" she asked.  
  
"Well, why are you asking if you already know?" Sydney asked. The Oracle chuckled.  
  
"I get that a lot."  
  
"I'm 24." The Oracle nodded and smiled.  
  
"He may love Trinity, but he needs your help to fulfill what he is destined to do." The Oracle took a cookie from a plate and handed it to her. 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8  
  
"What do you mean?" Sydney asked her. She studied the cookie and took a bite out of it. It was soft and chewy. Sydney thought, 'Why am I eating this? It's not real. Whatever.' The Oracle sighed.  
  
"When I prophesized Neo's coming, I also prophesized the coming of another. But, I didn't reveal this to Morpheus because the other could only be revealed when he or she came."  
  
"Wait...another one? Isn't there only 'The One'?"  
  
"Yes, there is only 'The One'. But the other is nothing like the One. He or she is more like a guide for the One. He or she is the only one who helps the One tap into the source to unleash his full powers," the Oracle explained. Sydney chewed the last bit of cookie. "The other is known as the Second One –," the Oracle stared again. But, Sydney interrupted with, "Gee, how creative." The Oracle laughed.  
  
"Are you telling me that I'm the Second One?" The Oracle raised her eyebrows and shrugged.  
  
"It's all a matter of what you think." Sydney stared at her boots. "Why isn't the Second One Trinity? After all, she's the one who Neo loves."  
  
"Well, the Second One was to come after the One. And the Second One would only seek Neo. Usually, before a mind is freed, it becomes aware of the Matrix and Neo and Morpheus and Trinity. They are the ones who help free minds. However, you came after the One was freed and that's why you saw only Neo in those dreams you had." Sydney shook her head.  
  
"No, it has to be all wrong. I can't be the Second One. I can't do anything Neo can do. I'm not as fast or as strong as he is."  
  
"Well, that's why I said the Second One is nothing like the One." She stood up and walked out of the kitchen. Sydney walked out and put her hand on the door knob.  
  
"What about Morpheus? What do I tell him?" she asked. The Oracle looked at her and shrugged.  
  
"Whatever you want, kid," she said.  
  
"But, you already know if I will or not." Sydney left the apartment and put her sunglasses on. Neo and Morpheus stood up. 'Should I tell them?' she asked herself. They started to walk back to the car. Morpheus's phone rang.  
  
"Hurry, there are agents coming!" Link said urgently.  
  
"Shit, we have to get moving," Morpheus said to them. They ran out of the building and dived into the car. Trinity hit the accelerator. They raced down the street. There was an SUV following them close behind. Sydney looked in the rear-view mirror and saw that the drivers were agents. She started to get scared.  
  
"Watch out!" Morpheus said. Trinity made a sharp 90-degree turn and slammed into a car that was parked on the side of the street. Sydney heard a horrible crunching noise of plastic being crushed against plastic. They were near a playground. The SUV stopped near them and agents got out. The four of them stood their ground.  
  
"Mr. Anderson," one of them said, smiling evilly. "I see you have recruited a new member into your little group. I remember you. The runner," he said to Sydney. She remained silent. She recognized him as one of the agents who had chased her in the park.  
  
One of them threw a punch at Trinity, which she easily blocked. Soon, a full brawl had begun. The agent grabbed Sydney's neck and tried to choke her. She shot her leg extremely fast and high. Her heel hit the agent in the forehead. He staggered backwards and Sydney drew out her gun. But, when she fired the gun, the agent moved too fast. He became a blur as he dodged her bullets. 'I'm in deep shit,' she thought.  
  
Then, he drew out his own gun. Sydney could hear and see the bullet leaving the gun. Her brain barely registered it. She bent her knees and threw herself backwards. She flew up in a somersault. The bullets flew by her. But, one hit her leg. She fell in surprise and pain. She grasped her thigh. It was bleeding profusely.  
  
The agent pointed his gun at her head. "You are still human," he said in disgust. Sydney's hand slowly travelled to her hip, where she had holstered her gun. Then, in one smooth movement, she took it out and shot the agent. She shot him again and again for good measure. She was surprised he didn't see that coming. 'Who's the fast one now?' she thought. The agent's body crackled and turned into another man. Sydney limped over to the other three. The agents were gone and they had turned back into the bodies of the hosts they had taken over.  
  
"Oh, God, your leg," Neo said. Sydney winced.  
  
"It's okay," she said. "We have to get to an exit." They hot-wired a car and drove to a payphone near an office building. The phone rang and Sydney picked it up.  
  
She woke up and grabbed her leg as the pain started to come back. She lifted up her pant leg and revealed a huge bluish-black bruise already forming. Link went to the medic bay and got a white package for her. It was a coolant that was supposed to alleviate the pain. He tied it with a white strap around her leg.  
  
"Are you going to be alright?" Morpheus asked her. Sydney nodded. She limped off to her room. It was difficult for her to sleep because her leg made her feel uncomfortable. She only felt comfortable while sitting up. She pulled her legs together and winced when she accidentally pressed the coolant pack. The door opened and Neo came in.  
  
"Are you alright?" he asked her. She was touched by his concern. Sydney nodded.  
  
"So...do you want to talk?" he asked as he sat down next to her.  
  
"Sure," she said. "Who was that agent? The one who called you Mr. Anderson."  
  
"His name is Smith. He's...well, the leader, I guess. He's been after me since I was unplugged. So how was it with the Oracle?" Sydney was silent for a beat. 'This is it. Do I tell him?' she asked herself. 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
  
"Well, it was unexpected..." Sydney thought about what she had been told. Should she tell Neo? He was going to find out anyways. "She told me of another person and that this person would have to help the One reach the source. I don't know what that means."  
  
"Another one?" he asked her. She nodded and shrugged.  
  
"But, I don't know...She said that this other one would come after the One was found. And the other would seek only the One."  
  
"What else did she say? Did she tell you that you were this other?" Sydney shook her head.  
  
"All she said was that it depends on what I think. I don't know what I think."  
  
"Does Morpheus know?" Neo asked.  
  
"Do I know what?" a voice said. Sydney and Neo turned to the door and saw Morpheus standing there. Then, they looked at each other. Their noses were nearly touching. Sydney quickly looked away. She noticed Morpheus faintly raising an eyebrow at her.  
  
"I'll understand if you don't want to tell me," he said, as he turned to leave. Sydney's mind was battling against itself right now.  
  
"No, wait." Morpheus stopped and turned around. Sydney got up and walked to him. "It has to do with what the Oracle told me." Morpheus nodded. Neo looked at them talking. Sydney was whispering.  
  
"She told me of another one. The Second One, who's supposed to help the One tap into the source and release his full powers. I have no idea what the hell that's supposed to mean.  
  
"An untold part of the prophecy," Morpheus said. "What else did she say?" Sydney sighed.  
  
"She also said that the Second One isn't Trinity because the Second One is supposed to have come after the One. She said it just matters on what I think." Morpheus put a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"The prophecy will be fulfilled," he said.  
  
"What is the source?" Sydney asked him.  
  
"I don't know. Only the Oracle does." Then, he turned and left. Sydney turned and saw Neo getting up. He also touched her shoulder.  
  
"I'm gonna go to bed now, Syd," he said. Sydney touched her shoulder gently as he left.  
  
The next day, Sydney went to eat breakfast. Trinity was there, alone. Sydney took out a container and poured some food into it. She sat down across from Trinity. She didn't look up at Sydney.  
  
"Hey," Sydney said. Trinity didn't answer. Sydney sighed. "Do you hate me?" she asked. She was surprised at her own straightforwardness. Trinity put her spoon down. Sydney noticed how strong she was, both physically and emotionally.  
  
"I don't hate you." Sydney searched Trinity's eyes for signs of lying.  
  
"Then, why do I feel like you're so cold around me?" Sydney was surprised at herself again. She wasn't like at all.  
  
"It's just that it takes time to adjust with new people." Trinity stared back at Sydney.  
  
"I see..." was all Sydney could think of to say. They turned to the sound of the door opening. It was Neo. Sydney quickly placed her empty container with the spoon on the counter and left. Neo looked at her as she left.  
  
"We have to get back to Zion to recharge the ship. We aren't more than a few hours away." Sydney was half-scared and half-excited. She was going to see Zion. What were the people like there?  
  
A few hours later, they reached the gates of Zion. As they got closer, a bean of light escaped through the opening in the gates. It grew larger and larger as the ship got closer. As they reached it, the light engulfed them. Link docked the ship into one of the bays and they gathered their things. When the ship opened up, there was a woman waiting for them.  
  
"Good to see you, Morpheus," she said.  
  
"Captain Niobe," he said, smiling. Niobe nodded to others. Then, she noticed Sydney.  
  
"A new crew member?" she asked. "Good to have you..." she said, stopping.  
  
"Sydney," she answered for her. Niobe smiled and turned to Morpheus again.  
  
"There's a gathering tonight at the temple. The Council is expecting you." Niobe turned and left.  
  
"Council?" Sydney asked. Morpheus explained that Zion was ruled by a group of men and women known as the Council. Another thought struck Sydney. "Where am I staying?" she asked them. They stopped walking and looked at each other.  
  
"I have an extra room you can sleep in," Trinity said softly. Sydney smiled gratefully.  
  
"Thank you," she said. She hoped Trinity wouldn't feel uncomfortable around her. For the first time, Sydney noticed how immense the city was. It was shaped in a huge cylinder, with different levels. There were houses built inside the walls of the city. The very top was a huge dome. It reminded Sydney of the night sky. There were bright lights set against the silvery and blue background of metal and steel.  
  
They entered one of the many elevators on the ground level. Morpheus and Link got off at one of the levels and the other three were left inside. Sydney stood in the corner, wishing the elevator would go faster. She felt like a third wheel with Neo and Trinity. She could tell they wanted to be alone. The elevator stopped at a floor and they were greeted by a huge crowd. They rushed up to Neo. They begged him to look over their loved ones. Trinity started to leave and Sydney followed her.  
  
They stopped at one of the hundreds of doors that lined the walls. Just outside the doors was a long circular rail that overlooked the entire city. Trinity unlocked the door and they went inside.  
  
It was a small apartment. There was one large room with a kitchen- like area and a bed. Trinity dumped her stuff on the floor and showed Sydney her room. It was small, but large enough to fit a cot inside. There was also a bare desk. Sydney put her things on the floor and sat down on the bed. She turned the light off and left the apartment. 


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10  
  
A few hours later, Sydney noticed the city was extremely quiet. Then, she remembered Niobe had said something about a gathering. She went down the elevator to the ground floor and wandered around. She wondered what kind of gathering this would be and what it would be like. Maybe, it would be like church or something like that. She heard drums and instruments playing in the distance. She followed the sounds and reached the entrance of a huge and vast cave. It was very earthy and brown. There were stalagmites and stalactites everywhere. She noticed shoes everywhere. She took hers off and placed in a small corner.  
  
When they entered the cave, it was bigger than Sydney had ever seen. There was a high cliff that protruded out from one of the cave walls. She could see the Council and Morpheus standing up there. She saw stairs leading up to the cliff. Sydney turned and saw the cave was packed with people. They turned their attention to the cliff. Morpheus stood at the tip of the cliff. Everyone was dancing to the beat of the instruments. The music pounded in Sydney's head.  
  
She stood off to one side of the cave. She had never really like social interaction with other people. She saw Neo standing off to one side. She walked up to him.  
  
"Hey," she said.  
  
"Hey. Why aren't you dancing?" he asked her. Sydney gave a small smile.  
  
"I don't dance," she said. They stayed silent, but the cave was extremely noisy with people yelling and the music. Suddenly, Neo moved away from her. She saw Trinity coming through the entrance of the cave and Neo went to greet her. They went off to another corner and started kissing. Sydney felt a small pang of jealousy and sorrow in her gut.  
  
"You've got it bad," Niobe said behind her. Sydney turned. When she looked back to where Neo and Trinity had been, they were gone.  
  
"They belong together," she said, with a hint of sadness in her voice. She hated to admit it, but she wanted to kiss Neo. She wanted to see how it felt, just once.  
  
"Well, then, if that's true, then that means that there's someone else out there for you," Niobe said. Sydney was reminded of her mother. Her mother had always told her that she would find the right guy for her.  
  
When the gathering was over, the people streamed back outside to go back to their homes. Sydney dragged herself to the elevators, which were full of people. She went to Trinity's apartment and opened the door. She froze when she saw Neo. He was walking around with nothing but a pair of shorts on. He looked up at her and gave her a curious look when he saw her surprised face.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked her. Sydney opened her mouth to say something, but she couldn't speak. She ran past him and to her room. She slammed the door and started laughing. She leaned against the door and slid down to the floor. She kept laughing until tears came to her eyes. Then, her laughing turned into crying. She just let the tears come out freely. She didn't understand why she was crying. She had no reason to be sad. She stopped crying, but started hiccupping as she gasped for air. It was late now and she just wanted to sleep. She fell on the bed and fell asleep almost immediately.  
  
When she woke up, she had a massive headache. She rubbed her temples and decided to go out for a walk. She opened the door a bit and nearly jumped when someone banged on the front door. She saw Trinity get up and open the door. She could hear someone's voice.  
  
"The Nebuchadnezzar is ready to leave," a man said. 'So much for a nice walk.' Sydney quickly gathered her stuff and stuffed into the bag. She slung the bag over her shoulder and walked out. Everyone turned to her.  
  
"Let's go," she said. They quickly collected their things and met Morpheus and Link at the bay. They walked off to the ship and left Zion. The ship lifted off with a huge groan and once again, they were floating in the darkness of the wastes of the machines and humans.  
  
A few days passed. Sydney fell into a slow depression. Every time she went to sleep, she would feel this ache in her chest. She wanted to tell someone, but didn't know who would listen. Finally, one night, she found Morpheus sitting alone in the dining room.  
  
"I need to talk to you," she said. She sat down across from him. She laughed a bit. "I feel like a whiny teenager going to the high school guidance counsellor," she said.  
  
"Sydney, what is it?" he asked her. Sydney sighed and closed her eyes.  
  
"I don't know. I just guess I'm still getting used to it. It's so different than what I know."  
  
"Sometimes, when a mind gets older, it's more harder for it to accept. Everything takes time to understand and accept."  
  
The next day, Sydney had decided what she was going to do. She wanted to see her parents. Even though, through her teenage years, she had hated them, she still loved them and missed them dearly. It hurt her to think about them. She had spent the last three weeks wondering what they were doing.  
  
"Morpheus, I want to go in for just a little while," she told him. He thought it over.  
  
"I don't know if that's wise, Sydney."  
  
"No, I want to," she said, staring hard. He stared back and nodded. Sydney sat down on one of the chairs. She lay back as Neo put the needle in. She blinked and once again, she was in the middle of the city.  
  
She looked around for more familiar surroundings. She didn't recognize the place. She called Link on her phone.  
  
"Link, where am I?" she asked him.  
  
"Well, according to this, you're in a town called North York."  
  
"It's a region in Toronto. Well, at least I'm in the right city. Thanks. I think I can find my way around from here," she said. She hung up and looked around for a car. She saw a Mercedes-Benz parked in the corner of the street.  
  
Soon, she was speeding down the highway toward downtown Toronto. She wound her way around side streets and slowed down as she entered the familiar neighbourhood of what was once her home. She stopped in front of a red-brick, two-storey house. She got out of the car and walked to the front door. She made sure her sunglasses were on properly. Her hand shook as she reached up to ring the doorbell. 


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11  
  
Sydney pressed the doorbell and waited. After what had felt like eternity, the door opened. She saw her mother standing at the door.  
  
"May I help you?" her mother asked softly. Sydney clenched her jaw tightly.  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm at the wrong address," she said, without putting much emotion in her voice. To her surprise, her mother opened the door wider.  
  
"I'm sorry...but do I know you?" she asked Sydney. Well, that answered Sydney's question. She stared at her mother through her sunglasses.  
  
"No, I'm afraid you have me confused with someone else. Sorry to have bothered you." Sydney turned to leave and heard her mother close the door. She closed her eyes and took a moment to collect herself.  
  
She took her phone out again. As she put her phone to her ear, something shot it out of her hands. She whirled around and saw Agent Smith coming towards her. 'Shit...' Sydney thought as she tried to think of what to do. She turned and started to run her ass off. As she ran, the memory of the university track came to her. She couldn't see Smith, but she knew he was behind her.  
  
Back at the Nebuchadnezzar, Link and the rest were crowded around the monitors.  
  
"She's running," Morpheus said. Suddenly, a sudden surge of information flashed across the screen.  
  
"What was that?" Trinity asked.  
  
"She's running way too fast. It's too much information to be put into the Matrix at once."  
  
Sydney struggled to breathe. She ran and took a lot of turns. She ran past a woman wearing expensive jewellery and holding several large shopping bags. She was talking into her cell phone.  
  
"I know! But, I want more close ups and – hey!" she yelled as Sydney grabbed her cell phone. Sydney ignored her and kept on running.  
  
"Operator," Link said.  
  
"Where is he?"  
  
"Close behind, but not too close."  
  
"Do you have an exit?"  
  
"Yeah, the payphone beside the office building two blocks away." Two?? Sydney wasn't sure if she could make it. She hung up. She had to lose him. She climbed up the rain collector on the side of the house and to the roof. She ran and jumped from house to house. She could see Smith following below.  
  
She saw him deftly climb up to the roof. Sydney kept running. She jumped and landed on another house. She felt a bullet graze her ear.  
  
"Why keep running?" Smith yelled at her. Sydney turned. He was on the house beside the one she was on. "It is useless to keep running." Sydney stood her ground, but got ready to run if she had to. Smith jumped and landed in front of her. He kicked her and she fell backwards. She managed to get up and face him.  
  
She fell to her knees and swung her leg around. He jumped and landed without losing balance at all. Sydney swung her leg upwards in a swift roundhouse kick. Her foot hit his cheek and a mark appeared on it. He glared at her. He tried to punch her and Sydney grabbed his arm. She jumped up and spun around sideways. She kept her arm locked into his and pulled her leg back. Then, she kicked him squarely in the chest. He flew backwards and landed on the roof of the next house. She turned and jumped off the roof. She landed squarely on the ground and took off.  
  
She jumped on the top of a car that was parked on the street. Then, she jumped on the top of a car that passed her by. Thankfully, it was heading towards the exit. Suddenly, she heard a crunching noise. She turned and saw Agent Smith.  
  
"Why, why, why?" he asked her. "Why keep running?" He jumped on top of her and she fell back. The wind blew into her face and she strained to stay on top of the car. She rolled over and Smith fell on his back. She started punching him over and over. Suddenly, she was slammed onto her back again. He grabbed her coat collar and slammed her head into the car again and again. Sydney gathered the strength she had left and flipped over. Smith fell off the car and disappeared underneath a truck that ran over him. Sydney watched as he disappeared and fell back onto the car in relief.  
  
Once the car passed by the block where the payphone was, Sydney jumped off and landed on the concrete sidewalk. She limped over to the payphone, which was ringing. She answered it and was brought back into the ship. She was sweating.  
  
"Are you alright?" Morpheus asked her.  
  
"That was...amazing," Neo said. He looked at her. Sydney looked back at him.  
  
"How did you do that?"  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"Run like that. It was...well, faster than anyone I've ever seen," Neo said.  
  
"Faster than even you?" Sydney couldn't help asking. Neo looked at her for a moment. Then, he nodded. Sydney couldn't help, but feel pleased at herself. She got up and limped off to her room. Trinity clenched her jaws tightly. Her bruise was hurting more than ever.  
  
She lay in bed and thought about what had happened. It had been a harrowing experience for her, although she couldn't imagine the numerous times Neo had probably eluded Agent Smith and even death. She wiped the sweat off with her hand and fell back into the pillow. She was so grateful to be able to rest. She thought about her mother. For some reason, she didn't cry. It wasn't real. She closed her eyes and smiled. Maybe she would get over it and accept it in time. 


	12. Chapter 12

(Author's note: Once again, thank you for all of your reviews. I just realized I haven't put up an author's note in a long time. Anyways, enjoy. I hope you don't mind the cliff hangers I put in the other chapters. Thanks. Remember to review)  
  
Chapter 12  
  
Sydney was sleeping when she suddenly woke up to a blaring alarm. She got up and walked out of her room. Everyone ran out of their rooms and to the cockpit. Sydney hurriedly followed them. When they got there, Sydney was shocked to see huge octopus-like shaped robots flying around.  
  
"Quick! Set the ship down!" Morpheus said to Link. He set it down and placed his hand on a glowing red switch.  
  
"What's going on?" Sydney asked.  
  
"Sh...they'll hear you," Trinity said tightly. They can hear? Morpheus nodded to Link and he turned the switch. Sydney saw the robots dropping like dead flies.  
  
"What the hell were those?" she asked.  
  
"They're sentinels, robots designed to find and kill humans. They're extremely intelligent. We use that electromagnetic pulse to stop them. It knocks out anything electrical within a certain radius," Neo explained.  
  
"Any damage?" Morpheus asked.  
  
"We were lucky. They were about to break the hull when we caught them," Link said. Everyone went back to their rooms to go back to sleep. Sydney lay awake for a while because she was afraid that they might come back. She told herself that the EMP had knocked them out, but she was still a little afraid.  
  
A few days later, Link suddenly burst into the dining room. "The Logos have sent us a message. They want to meet," he told Morpheus. They got up and gathered at the plug-in site.  
  
"Who are the Logos?" Sydney asked.  
  
"Captain Niobe's ship," Trinity said. They all sat down on the chairs as Link plugged them in. They walked down a dark tunnel deep underground. Sydney thought they were in a sewage tunnel, but then, they stopped in a wide circular area, with a small table in the centre.  
  
"Morpheus," Niobe greeted him. He nodded at her.  
  
"We've got scans that show that the machines are travelling through the old waste and mechanical lines. They're going to take a while, but that's what they're hoping for: to surprise us."  
  
"How long do we have?" Morpheus asked.  
  
"If they continue at the speed they're at, probably about 40 hours," Niobe said. Sydney noticed that she had an extremely large crew. Morpheus looked at them through his dark glasses.  
  
"I'm sure that all of you are aware of this. But, the prophecy is to be fulfilled soon. This war will end and Zion will be at peace. However, we must wait until the Oracle brings word to us."  
  
"Why can't you go to the Oracle?" one of the crew members asked.  
  
"Because she will know when to call us. We cannot be rash and act on our own immediately. I trust her and I know that she will do what's right. The fact that a new part of the prophecy has been revealed makes me anxious, but I am sure the Oracle knows what we must do." A murmur broke out among the members.  
  
"What do you mean a new part of this prophecy?" Trinity asked urgently. She gave a small quick glance over to Sydney.  
  
"The Oracle has told Sydney," he said, nodding to her, "that there is another who must aid the One into finding the source. To be honest, I don't know what that means, but I am sure that the Oracle will tell us in time." Trinity's mouth turned into a thin line as she listened to what Morpheus said. Sydney fidgeted slightly. She had been afraid of this.  
  
"What about Commander Lock? He's ordered us to come back to Zion," Niobe said.  
  
"I'm afraid we cannot go back until the Oracle has contacted us," Morpheus said. Niobe exhaled and tried to think.  
  
"You've got 40 hours," she finally said to Morpheus. He nodded and turned. Sydney, Neo and Trinity followed him out.  
  
"What do we do now?" Trinity asked Morpheus.  
  
"We must wait for the Oracle to call us." Sydney wondered what that meant. They reached an exit and were brought back to the ship. Sydney was worried. What if the Oracle didn't "call" them? What if they didn't complete whatever they had to do on time?  
  
A few hours later, Link excitedly pointed at the screen. Morpheus looked over his shoulder.  
  
"It's the Oracle. She's calling us. She wants to see Sydney and Neo." Morpheus looked at them.  
  
"Will you be alright?" he asked them. Sydney looked over at Neo and nodded.  
  
Sydney eased herself into one of the chairs. Neo did the same. Trinity put her hand protectively over Neo's chest and whispered something to him. He whispered something back to her, but Sydney didn't hear. But, she knew he said something like, "I will." She had tried to teach herself how to read lips because her grandmother knew how to read lips since she had been deaf for a majority of her life. Trinity gave Neo a small kiss on the lips. Sydney clenched her jaws together.  
  
They were jacked in and Sydney found herself in the middle of a city. Everyone walked past them, paying no attention.  
  
"Follow me," Neo said to her. They walked down the street for a while, until they reached a building. "She's here," he said.  
  
"How do you know?" Sydney asked him.  
  
"I can see the Matrix as the code. I can see her here," he told her, looking up at it. He opened the door and Sydney walked inside. 


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13  
  
Neo looked around and walked to the elevators. The doors opened and they got in. He pressed the button to the eighth floor. Sydney followed Neo to an apartment and opened the door. They walked inside. They looked around and found the Oracle sitting on a couch.  
  
"Well, well. I didn't think I'd see you two so soon again," she said.  
  
"What do you have to tell us?" Sydney asked. The Oracle raised an eyebrow.  
  
"I know you're wondering what the source is and how you're going to get there. If you really want to know, I'll tell you. The source is where the One receives and gives his powers. It's a cycle. The source gives him his powers and he gives it back to the source. One cannot exist without the other."  
  
"These powers exist only within the Matrix," Neo said out loud. The Oracle nodded.  
  
"You're getting closer..."  
  
"And the Matrix is powered by the machines," Sydney concluded. The Oracle smiled and gave a little wag with her finger.  
  
"Bingo," she said, chewing on a piece of candy.  
  
"So what did you mean when you said that the Second One must help the One go to the source?" Sydney asked. The Oracle sighed.  
  
"Between the One and the source, there is a bridge. That bridge is the only way the One can reach the source and vice versa. And guess who that bridge is?" the Oracle asked. "There is a man – well, a program – called the Wiseman. Only he knows the location of two keys that must be used to open a door that leads to the source. He can be found at a cyber club known as 'Cyberneticks.' However, he will not hesitate to kill you if he wants to. So, you must be careful when you approach him. Be at the club at midnight. You will know who he is," the Oracle said.  
  
"Why can't you tell us? You're the Oracle," Sydney asked.  
  
"I'm afraid there are some things that must be done the hard way," the Oracle sighed.  
  
Sydney and Neo left the building. She was nervous. He didn't seem concerned at all. Ever since she had found out about the Second One, one burning question had stayed in her mind: What if they fail? Neo's phone rang and he stopped to pick it up. He hung up and grabbed Sydney's arm.  
  
"We have to go!" he said. He started to run and Sydney followed.  
  
"What's happening?" she yelled.  
  
"There are sentinels coming. We have to get to an exit!" He ran into an alleyway.  
  
"What are you doing?" Sydney asked him. He picked her up and Sydney felt her face burning. He bent low and he took off the ground. Sydney thought he was going to jump on the roof of a building or something. But, instead, he soared higher and higher. Soon, they were within the clouds and Sydney clutched tightly onto Neo's neck. Her stomach churned. He turned slowly in the air, still holding Sydney in his arms.  
  
He flew straight down at a payphone. It started ringing as he reached it. He picked it up and handed it to Sydney. They soon woke up. The alarm was blaring and flashing.  
  
"They're coming," Trinity said.  
  
"There's no time to charge the EMP," Morpheus said.  
  
"We have to get out of here," Link said. They ran to the armoury and grabbed some weapons. Then, they ran out of the ship. Sydney could see a flashing metal ball being hurled straight at the ship. Balls of fire came shooting out and soon, the ship was covered in fire. It kept on burning until it turned black and there was nothing more of it.  
  
Suddenly, sentinels appeared. They had little satellites on the ends of their tentacles. They flew around the ship as Sydney and the others tried to run. Sydney tripped and landed on scrap metal. A sentinel turned sharply and headed towards them. They kept on running and Sydney tried to keep up with them. Then, Neo stopped.  
  
"Neo, what are you doing?!" Trinity yelled as the sentinel stopped right in front of him. Sydney stopped, too. The sentinel raised its tentacle to kill Neo. Sydney ran towards him.  
  
"Neo!" she screamed as she ran towards him and tackled him to the ground. The sentinel started shaking and electrical sparks flew everywhere. Sydney heard a terrific clank as the sentinel dropped to the ground. Then, to everyone's surprise, especially to Sydney, the sentinels stopped and flew away. Sydney lifted herself off of Neo. He had dirt all over his face.  
  
"Are you alright?" she asked him. He opened his eyes.  
  
"What...happened?" he asked her. Morpheus, Trinity and Link ran to them.  
  
"Are you both okay?" Link asked them. Sydney nodded.  
  
"What the hell just happened?" Trinity asked them.  
  
"I don't know," Sydney admitted. A few moments later, they heard a deep rumbling noise. They saw another ship pass over them. Link and Morpheus smiled in relief.  
  
"It's the Logos!" The ship landed in front of them and the hatch opened. They ran inside and heard the hatch hiss as it closed behind them. Niobe was standing in front of them.  
  
"I thought you went back to Zion," Morpheus said.  
  
"We couldn't. The machines are blocking all the lines to Zion." Morpheus sighed.  
  
"We can't do anything, but wait here. The Oracle has told Sydney and Neo that they must go to a club in order to obtain information about two keys. They have been told that the keys will lead to the source. They have to go in three hours," Morpheus explained.  
  
"Morpheus, you know I don't believe in this prophecy shit. We only have 37 hours left," Niobe said.  
  
"I know that, Niobe. When the One reaches the source, this war will be over. Isn't that enough to take a chance to find out if I'm right?" Morpheus asked her, staring down at her. Niobe sighed.  
  
"Fine," she said and left. Sydney glanced at Neo. He didn't seem worried at all. Then, she glanced at Trinity. She looked half-sad, half- worried. Sydney stared at the floor. She wasn't ready for this. It was so overwhelming.  
  
Two and a half hours later, Neo told Sydney he wanted to go in early.  
  
"Why?" she asked him. She didn't want to go in just yet.  
  
"Because I want to see the Oracle," he told her. She stared at her hands. She respected him and they were supposed to do this together.  
  
"Okay," she said. They walked to the plug-in site and sat down in the chairs. Niobe plugged them in and Link took a seat in front of the monitors.  
  
"They're in," he said. 


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14  
  
Sydney and Neo stood in the middle of the street. It was dark and the sky was cloudy. They looked at each other and walked up to a building. They went inside and the elevator opened as if on cue.  
  
They reached an apartment and Sydney opened the door. They looked around for the Oracle. She was in the kitchen, reading a book. She put it down and looked up at them.  
  
"Well, now, this is a surprise," she said, smiling at them. Neo stepped forward.  
  
"I want to know something," he said.  
  
"Yes...how the sentinels were stopped?" she asked him, raising an eyebrow. Neo stayed silent.  
  
"How did that happen? Was it Neo who stopped them or did they stop by themselves?" Sydney asked. "The latter seems unlikely, though." The Oracle rested her hands on the table.  
  
"Remember how I told you two that the Second One was the bridge between the One and source?" Neo and Sydney nodded. "Well, the sentinels were powered by the machines, which is the source. You felt them, didn't you, when they came close to you? Well, when they came close to him, the source and the One became closer. However, there was still that gap between them. The gap that can only be closed if the Second One is present. When you touched him, Sydney, the gap was closed and that's how he stopped the sentinels," the Oracle explained. Sydney and Neo looked at each other and then back at the Oracle.  
  
"What? But, Neo's powers exist only in the Matrix," Sydney countered. The Oracle took out a cigarette and lighted it. She gave a small puff on it.  
  
"Well, it's like trying to fill a container that's already full. The source is always feeding the One information and the One sends it back. However, when the sentinels came to him, the source was overwhelmed because the information was too much. When that happened, his powers overcame the boundaries of the Matrix and into the real world." She continued to puff on her cigarette. They looked at each other and left the building to their car.  
  
"Link, we need the address of a club called 'Cyberneticks'," Sydney said into her phone.  
  
"Got it. It's on the intersection of Wells and 54th." Sydney hung up and told Neo the address. He stepped on the accelerator and sped away.  
  
When they found the club, they discovered there was a huge line of people waiting to go in. Sydney and Neo pushed their way through the line and stopped in front of the bouncers. They stared at each other through their glasses. The bouncers put a hand out to stop Neo. Sydney took her gun out.  
  
"You let us in, or the last thing you'll see is a bullet from this gun," she said, pointing it at the bouncer's forehead. He looked at the other bouncer and they nodded. They stepped aside to let them in. Sydney smiled and put her gun away.  
  
The club was dark and damp. There were people everywhere. There were flashing lights and the music was blaring. Sydney and Neo pushed people aside as they looked around for the Wiseman. Sydney saw a man sitting alone at the bar. She tapped Neo's arm and nodded in the man's direction. They walked up to him.  
  
The Wiseman was not what Sydney had expected. He was young and Gothic. He had eyeliner smeared all over his eyes and multiple piercings. His hair was short and spiky. It had obviously been dyed several times. It was bright blue and purple with spots of cherry red at the tips. His clothes were covered with pins and accessories. He turned when he saw them.  
  
"Hey, hot stuff," he said to Sydney.  
  
"You know why we're here," she replied. He took a sip from his drink.  
  
"Yes, I do...but a deal must be paid both ways. I give you what you want, and you must give me something I want," he said arrogantly, with a little smirk.  
  
"What do you want?" Neo asked him. The Wiseman searched his brain.  
  
"I want her," he said, pointing at Sydney. Neo and Sydney looked at each other.  
  
"You can't," Neo said. The Wiseman shrugged.  
  
"Well, then, I can't give you what you want." Sydney was outraged. She whipped her gun out.  
  
"Sydney –," Neo started. But, she ignored him.  
  
"Listen, buster. You are going to tell us where the keys are or I will kill you right now," she said. The Wiseman shrugged.  
  
"You can't kill me. You won't know where the keys are if you don't have me." Sydney kept the gun at his head. Finally, she lowered it. The Wiseman smiled. Suddenly, Sydney took her gun out again and shot him in the arm. He dropped his drink and the glass shattered. He yelled out in pain.  
  
"You bitch!" he yelled at Sydney. She shrugged.  
  
"Tell us where the keys are," Neo said.  
  
"Fine," the Wiseman panted. He clutched his arm. "The keys are in a museum in Paris. They're in a safe, along with several other artefacts."  
  
"The Louvre?" Neo asked. The Wiseman nodded.  
  
"The safe is in the basement. The only way to access it is to know the passwords, which I do not know. However, I do know that every hour, one of the museum archaeologists go into the safe to make sure that the artefacts are all there. One minute before the safe is opened, there is a security guard shift change."  
  
"Where is the door?" Neo asked.  
  
"The location of the door can only be revealed once the keys are retrieved by the so-called 'One'," the Wiseman explained. Sydney smiled.  
  
"That wasn't so hard, was it?" she asked him. He grunted as he clutched his arm. His hand was bloody. Sydney and Neo turned to leave. But, the Wiseman discreetly took his gun out and pointed it at them. He was about to pull the trigger when Sydney spun around and shot him in the head. The gun clattered to the ground and the Wiseman fell. The music was still going and no one had seen or heard anything.  
  
"That was extravagant," Neo said.  
  
"I had to," Sydney said as she put her gun away. They walked out of the club and to their car. As Sydney was driving to their exit, Neo laughed.  
  
"What is it?" she asked him.  
  
"Nothing...I was just thinking about what you did at the club," he replied. "It just reminded me of what Trinity would have done." Sydney stared through the window.  
  
"I'm not like her at all," she said. She gripped the steering wheel tighter. 


	15. Chapter 15

(Author's note: I'm dead tired right now because I just came back from my school's spring concert, but I'm bored, too. I should be studying for a geography test, but what the hell? I'd rather be writing this chapter. BTW, I MADE UP the stuff about the Louvre in here. If you're going to bitch about the "factual" errors in this chapter, fine. That's your problem, not mine. Oh, and if you don't like my story, why the hell are you reading it?)  
  
Chapter 15  
  
"The keys are in a museum called the Louvre, which is in Paris. The safe that the keys are kept in is opened every hour by a scientist from the museum. The Louvre is heavy with security systems," Neo explained.  
  
"You can't go in by yourselves," Niobe said. Morpheus looked at her. "Do you have a plan?"  
  
"We go in through the air vent system. When the safe is opened, Neo and I will go to the room where the safe is. You can distract the guards," Sydney explained.  
  
"Sounds like a good plan to me," Niobe said. "We'll need the building schematics.  
  
"Link can get them," Neo said.  
  
"How much time do we have before we go in?" Niobe asked.  
  
"About three and a half hours," Neo said.  
  
"What about the door?" Morpheus asked.  
  
"The Wiseman said that the location of the door can only be revealed once the keys have been retrieved," Sydney explained.  
  
"Why don't you get some rest before we go in?" Morpheus suggested. Sydney nodded and went to her room. She couldn't sleep. She was too nervous. In less than 30 hours from now, the machines would reach Zion. What they didn't retrieve the keys and find the door in time? Sydney lay down on her cot and rolled over on her stomach. Her breathing lulled her to sleep.  
  
Three hours later, Sydney woke up. She walked to the dining room and found most of the people there.  
  
"Are you ready?" Niobe asked her.  
  
"More ready than ever," Sydney replied. Fifteen minutes later, they all gathered at the plug-in site. Trinity and Link plugged them in. They were all in one car. Neo started to drive through the city.  
  
Once they reached the Louvre, they parked the car and climbed up to the roof. They found the one of the ducts coming up out of the roof. Sydney pulled the covering out and Neo and Niobe climbed in. When they reached an intersection in the ducts, they went their separate ways.  
  
Niobe crawled around until she found a vent. She peeked through it and saw a man in a security guard uniform with his feet up on a desk. The desk had numerous monitors showing the different places of the museum. Meanwhile, Neo and Sydney found the vent that was in the room of the safe. They opened and waited for whoever it was to come and open the safe.  
  
The security guard put his feet down and took his coat. He left the room and they heard him lock the door. She fell through the vent and onto the floor.  
  
She went behind the door and drew her gun. A man walked up to the security control room and was surprised to see the door locked. He took his key to unlock it. When he opened the door, he was greeted by a flying Niobe, who kicked his face. His nose started bleeding. Niobe kicked at his knees, which made an ugly cracking noise. He fell down and started screaming. She did a neat roundhouse kick and he was knocked out. She dragged him out in the hall and locked the door again. Glancing at the monitors, she saw an old man go down the hall to the room where the safe was.  
  
At the same time, Sydney and Neo saw a man enter the room. They nodded to each other and they jumped down. The man turned in surprise. He started shaking when he saw them. Sydney kept her gun at him. She pointed to the safe.  
  
"Ouvrez le sûr!" she yelled. "Ouvrez-le maintenant!" The man shook as he frantically tried to open it. He pressed his thumb on a little pad on the side of the safe. Then, he pressed a few buttons on a number pad. He leaned to a speaker and said "Champignon" into it. The safe gave a little hiss as it opened. The man stood rooted to the spot as Sydney nodded to Neo. He reached in and pulled out two old-fashioned looking keys. They were silver and chipped in some places. Neo put them in his pocket and started to walk toward the door. Sydney lowered her gun.  
  
"Allez," she said, pointing to the door. The man whimpered a little and ran out of the room.  
  
"I didn't know you spoke French," Neo said.  
  
"Hey, I lived in Canada," Sydney replied, giving a small crooked smile. On the monitors, Niobe saw the man run out. Suddenly, she saw a security guard wandering down one of the halls, toward the safe room. Niobe took her phone and called Sydney.  
  
"There's a guard coming your way," she said. Sydney looked at Neo. They looked out the door and heard footsteps coming down the stairs. They quickly shut the door and stayed completely still. Sydney tried to breathe properly. The footsteps came closer and closer. Suddenly, they stopped. Sydney could see a shadow moving through the crack under the door. She began to sweat as the shadow moved around some more. Then, the footsteps started again and faded away. Neo and Sydney sighed in relief. Sydney called Niobe.  
  
"We have the keys. It's time to go," Sydney said. She hung up and jumped up to the air duct. Neo did the same. They crawled around until they saw some light shining through an opening. They crawled through it and found themselves back on the roof. They found Niobe on the roof, waiting for them.  
  
They all clambered down the roof and ran to their car. Niobe jumped into the driver's seat, intoxicated by their success. Neo handed the keys to Sydney. She turned them over in her hands and thought about the door. Where was it? She looked back at the keys and noticed they seemed to be glowing. The glowing seemed to intensify as she stared at them.  
  
She turned around and looked at the road behind them. She had this strange feeling in her chest.  
  
"Do you feel that?" she asked Neo. He looked at her.  
  
"Yes. What is it?" he asked her. She was about to say, "I don't know," when suddenly, everything turned black. She looked around in confusion. Everything became black. She couldn't see or hear anything anymore. 


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16  
  
Sydney was in complete darkness. She looked around and saw Neo standing beside her.  
  
"What do you see?" she asked Neo.  
  
"It's different. The code is different somehow. It's not encrypted, but there are parts missing to it," Neo replied. Suddenly, a beam of light cut through the darkness. It started to move towards them.  
  
Niobe continued to drive. She was nearing the exit. She turned to see Neo and Sydney. She was alarmed to see them gone. She stopped at the exit and called Link.  
  
"What's happened to them?" she asked.  
  
"I don't know. I can't find them," Link said. "Hurry, just get out." Niobe hung up and answered the ringing payphone she was standing near. When she woke up, she hurried to the monitors.  
  
"What happened?" she asked again. Link typed something.  
  
"It's like they disappeared. I can't find them anywhere," Link replied.  
  
"The door...they're finding out the location of the door," Morpheus realized.  
  
The light grew brighter as it came closer. It surrounded them and was suddenly put out like a fire. They found themselves in front of a building. It was tall and looked evil as it stared down at them. The doors blew open and revealed a dark long hallway.  
  
They entered and lights turned on by themselves. The walls were extremely white and blank. There were identical doors lining the hallway. One of the doors flew open. Neo and Sydney walked to it. There was darkness in the room. As they stepped into the room, they started to fall once again.  
  
They woke up with everyone staring at them. Sydney's head was spinning. She couldn't figure out what had just happened.  
  
"Did you find it?" Morpheus asked. It took a moment for Sydney to realize that he was talking about the door.  
  
"Yes. We did. But I don't know where it is," Sydney said. Trinity rushed to Neo's side.  
  
"Neo, I was so worried," she said. He hugged her and Trinity squeezed his hand.  
  
"I remember something distinctive about the code," Neo said. "It was strange. There was something different about it, like a different language, in a way." He got up and walked over to the monitors. He typed something. The streams of data stopped and something was highlighted. It zoomed into and the coding of that single piece of data was shown.  
  
"The building is in New York. Wait, what's this?" Link said. He typed something and the coding of the building stopped. Another piece of data was highlighted and the coding was shown.  
  
"The door is closed. I think it can be only opened at a certain time," Sydney said. Everyone looked at her, then at each other.  
  
"Maybe we must go to the Oracle again," Morpheus said.  
  
"Now?" Sydney asked. Morpheus shook his head.  
  
"You must rest. We can go in again in an hour or sooner, if possible," he replied. Sydney got up and went to the dining room. She poured some food into a container and ate it. She pushed it aside when she finished and rested her head in her arms. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.  
  
The door was open. The door was white, like the walls, but there was evil darkness coming from the room. Sydney looked around for Neo. He wasn't there. She was all alone. She started to run towards the door. It started to move away from her. She reached out to try and grab it, but it kept moving away. Suddenly, she tripped. When she got up again, the door was gone.  
  
She woke up with Trinity gently shaking her shoulder. She looked around to figure out where she was and realized she was in the dining room.  
  
"Oh, God. Is it time to go?" she asked.  
  
"They're waiting," Trinity said. She turned to leave and Sydney followed her out. She was still a bit tired, but she knew that she had to stay awake. She lay back on the chair and Link plugged her in.  
  
She was in front of another apartment building with Neo. They went up to one of the apartments and opened the door. It was dark and they saw that there was only one lamp on. They walked to the living room and found the Oracle watching the news.  
  
"Why, hello," she greeted them. She turned the television off. "I know you've found the door."  
  
"Obviously, we have. Are you going to tell us when we must open it?" Neo asked.  
  
"When an old day ends, a new day begins. At that exact second can the door be opened."  
  
"At midnight," Sydney said.  
  
"No later or sooner," the Oracle emphasized. She got up and started to walk.  
  
"What if we fail?" Sydney asked. The Oracle thought for a moment.  
  
"If you fail, then we are doomed to oblivion," the Oracle replied. Sydney gave a small silent sigh and looked at Neo. He looked kind of worried, too, now. They left the building. They reached their exit and woke up.  
  
"That was fast," Niobe said.  
  
"The door must be opened at midnight. We can't be late," Neo said.  
  
"That's only in four hours. Did she say anything else?" Morpheus asked. He was nervous. The prophecy was about to be fulfilled soon. What was going to happen? He didn't know and he was excited at the same time. He had dreamed of the prophecy's fulfillment his whole life.  
  
"No, she didn't," Sydney said.  
  
"Get some more rest. You must be fully prepared," he told her. Sydney nodded and sighed. Niobe and the rest of her crew left as they went back to their rooms. Neo put his arm around Trinity and they left to their room. Sydney went to her room and plopped herself on the cot. She closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of the old mattress. 


	17. Chapter 17

(Author's Note: I'm sorry it took me long to post this chapter, but my Internet wasn't working for the past few days. Anyways, here it is!)  
  
Chapter 17  
  
It was the door again. She and Neo were running towards it. It was like her dream. The door refused to be opened. As she and Neo got closer to it, the door seemed to de-materialize. As they reached it, it disappeared in front of them.  
  
"What are we going to do now?" Sydney screamed.  
  
"There's nothing we can do," Neo said sadly.  
  
"No! We have to end the war!" Sydney screamed. She ran to the other doors in the hall and tried to open them. Sydney started crying.  
  
Her eyes shot open. She realized she had been dreaming. She was too nervous, but the nightmares made her more nervous. She had been thinking about this ever since the Oracle had told them about the keys and the door. She was excited and nervous. She wasn't sure about what they would find. She lay awake in her bed for another hour. Finally, she got up and went to the plug-in site.  
  
Everyone was gathered around the chairs. Sydney closed her eyes to calm herself. Morpheus nodded and extended his hand to one of the chairs. Everyone could feel the tension and anxiety building in the small area. Neo sat down. She lay back on one of the chairs and felt the needle being inserted. She felt that sensation of entering the Matrix. She blinked and once again, she was in the city.  
  
It was dark and the sky was cloudy. It was noisy, even though it was near midnight. Neo and Sydney started to walk down the block to the building. It started to rain. The rain beat down on them. Sydney could see her breath in the cold air.  
  
They reached the building and went inside. They left trails of water as they walked down the hall. The hallway and doors seemed endless. They walked down the hall until they stopped at a door. There were two locks, one on each side of the door. Neo and Sydney fished out their keys and glanced at their watches. There was three more seconds...two...one.  
  
They inserted their keys into the locks and turned it. The door flew open and a gust of wind blew. Sydney and Neo stepped into the darkness of the room. A sudden burst of light flashed and illuminated the entire room.  
  
The room was huge and the walls were completely white. It made it seem the room went on forever. In the middle of the room was a man sitting in a chair. He was extremely old and wrinkled. He had no hair except for a long beard that trailed on the floor. He wore a long, flowing white robe that looked like a warlock's robe. He had a gnarled mahogany stick for a cane. He stood up.  
  
"At last. I have been expecting you," he said.  
  
"Who are you?" Sydney asked.  
  
"I am called The Governor."  
  
"The Governor? Are you the one who created the Matrix?" Neo asked. The Governor chuckled.  
  
"Oh, no. Certainly not. The machines are the ones did that."  
  
"Then, what do you do?" Sydney asked.  
  
"I control all the programs within the Matrix," the Governor replied. He obviously saw Sydney's confused face. "Within the Matrix, there are millions of programs which govern it. A program was created to govern animals, plants, the sky, weather, etc and etc. However, my function is to govern all of those programs. I decide when and what to do with the programs."  
  
"Do the agents answer to you?" Sydney asked, remembering they had been called programs.  
  
"Oh, yes. They are the ones who carry out my orders," the Governor said.  
  
"Including trying to kill people?" Neo asked sarcastically. The Governor sighed.  
  
"Sometimes, it is necessary, especially in cases where anomalies have been detected," the Governor answered.  
  
"Anomalies? What kind?"  
  
"Well, anomalies like yourselves," the Governor said, pointing at them with his cane.  
  
"We're anomalies?" Sydney asked.  
  
"Well, of course you are. The One is the result of a miscalculation in one side of the equation of the Matrix while the Second One is the result of the same miscalculation being applied to the other side."  
  
"We're here about Zion," Neo said.  
  
"Ah, yes. Zion," the Governor mused.  
  
"Will it be saved now that we reached the source?" Sydney asked.  
  
"Oh, no. Of course not," the Governor said. Sydney and Neo glanced at each other. What did he mean? "The war can only end if the source or the One is destroyed. Or both."  
  
"Why?" Sydney asked.  
  
"I'm sure the Oracle has told you that the source and the One are connected. If one end of the connection is severed, the other is lost," the Governor replied. Sydney clenched her jaws. This is definitely not what she had been expecting.  
  
"So what do we have to do to end the war?" Neo asked.  
  
"Well, you can either destroy the source or yourself," the Governor replied.  
  
"Where exactly is the source?" Neo asked. The Governor sighed.  
  
"The source is...the machines. The machine that controls over all of the other machines. It is not in the machine city because they are not there," the Governor said, sounding as if he was talking to himself.  
  
"They're on their way to Zion," Sydney said.  
  
Meanwhile, in the Logos, a blaring alarm sounded. Everyone looked up. Niobe, Morpheus and some of her crew ran to the cockpit to check the holographics.  
  
"Shit," she whispered.  
  
"Oh, my God," Soren said. There were millions of sentinels swarming in front of them. They were flying around a huge machine. It was shaped like a hammer and it was moving extremely slowly. Morpheus ran back to Link.  
  
"They have to get out!" he said.  
  
"I'm trying! The signal's been blocked by something," Link said, frantically trying to call Sydney and Neo.  
  
Sydney looked around at the room. She felt as if something was wrong. The Governor sat down in his chair. He rested his hands on his cane.  
  
"I'm afraid that our time together is over," he said to them, almost sadly. Sydney stared at him. She felt numb. Neo touched her arm and started to walk to the door. As soon as they exited the door, their phone rang.  
  
"Hello?" Sydney said.  
  
"You have to get to your exit fast! There are millions of sentinels here!" Morpheus practically screamed. Neo and Sydney ran out of their building and started to run to their exit. 


	18. Chapter 18

(Author's Note: Hi...I'm sorry it took me nearly a week to put this chapter up, but I went on a trip last week and I just came back two days ago. I was sick for a day after that, so I didn't finish this chapter until...well, now. So anyways, I hope you enjoy it...God, the ladybugs are haunting me.)  
  
Chapter 18  
  
Sydney and Neo ran as fast as they could to their exit. They were about to reach it when they saw a figure coming out of a building. It was Smith.  
  
"Mr. Anderson!" he said gleefully.  
  
"Shit..." Sydney whispered. Agent Smith walked up to them. He was staring right at Sydney.  
  
"It's always such a pleasure to see you," Agent Smith said, in his malicious voice. He tried to throw a punch at Sydney, but she managed to block it. She jumped up and kicked him in the head. Neo picked him up and threw him into the air.  
  
"Go!" Neo said to Sydney.  
  
"What about you?!" Sydney screamed. He just waved at her and she stood there for a moment before bolting to the payphone. He continued to fight Smith as Sydney answered the phone.  
  
She woke up with a small gasp. She glanced over at Neo. He was shaking slightly in his chair.  
  
"What's happening?" she asked Niobe.  
  
"There are sentinels here! We only have a few minutes before they find us," Niobe said urgently. They stared intently at the monitors. After a silent, tension-filled moment, Neo awoke.  
  
"God...," he said, cradling his ribs. He coughed and a small trail of blood trickled out of the side of his mouth. He wiped it away. Suddenly, they heard a loud clanking noise.  
  
"Oh, shit," Niobe said. The entire crew ran towards the armoury and grabbed several EMP guns for themselves. They heard the metal ripping apart and could see the sentinels trying to break in. They ran out of the ship.  
  
Sentinels were swirling and flying everywhere. The sight nearly gave Sydney a heart attack. The sentinels were flying around the largest and most gigantic machine Sydney had ever seen. They covered their heads with their arms and found a large hole in the mass of metal and waste. They crawled into it, which could barely contain them.  
  
Sydney held her breath as she watched the sentinels. They couldn't run any farther. The sentinels were blocking all the mainlines. Then, after a few moments, the sentinels slowed down. They were still flying around the huge machine, but slowly. They seemed almost as they were drifting into sleep. Sydney took a few heavy breaths. The huge machine turned. It had numerous bright red metallic circles that resembled eyes. It seemed to be searching for them. It groaned and clanked as though it was talking. Neo was staring at it. Hypnotized, he climbed out the hole. Trinity tugged his sleeve.  
  
"Neo!" she said tightly.  
  
"No...," he said to no one in particular. Sydney looked at Neo, then back at the machine. Slowly, she climbed out too.  
  
"We finally meet...," a ghostly voice said. It sounded like it had difficulty talking. Sydney jumped slightly.  
  
"What do you want?" Neo asked the machine defiantly.  
  
"The end...of everything," the voice said.  
  
"It will end."  
  
"Yes...one of us must be...destroyed," the voice replied.  
  
"How?" Neo asked.  
  
"We must...fight...to the...end."  
  
"Then, we will fight until one or both of us are destroyed." A sentinel came and stopped in front of Neo. Unsure of what to do, Neo and Sydney stood there.  
  
"The second...must...come." The sentinel reached out with its tentacle and grabbed Neo and Sydney. It flew up to the machine. Sydney stared into its eyes, or what looked like its eyes. A small platform came out and the sentinel gently placed Neo and Sydney on it. They looked around. Sydney looked at the ground and found small snake-like wires crawling towards them. She tried to step on them, but they coiled around her leg and climbed up to her arm. They had small needles on the ends and they inserted themselves into her holes.  
  
Sydney and Neo found themselves in a field. The wind gently blew the grass and the sun beat down hotly on them. The field seemed endless. The wind grew stronger as the dust blew and swirled around them. They looked around and saw a dark figure in the distance. It grew bigger and bigger as it came nearer.  
  
It stopped in front of them. It was a man. He was bald and extremely pale. He wore white clothing and a cloak that seemed to flow like water in the wind. His eyes were piercing and dark brown.  
  
"Are you the source?" Neo asked.  
  
"Yes, of course. I am the residual image of it," the man replied. He took a step closer to them. "Only the One and I must fight. The Second is here to complete the gap between us. Only us," the source said, emphasizing the last part. Sydney took a deep breath and gulped. She was nervous and scared. She felt helpless too because there was nothing she could do to help Neo.  
  
The source jumped up and flew into the air, his cloak billowing behind him. He landed on the tallest branch of a nearby tree. Sydney watched as Neo flew up and landed beside him. They started to fight in the tree. She could feel her heart resounding in her chest.  
  
Neo kicked his opponent. Caught by surprise, he fell to the ground. He picked himself up with a distinct air of dignity as Neo flew down beside him. Sydney stood there, dumbly. A punch knocked the wind out of Neo momentarily. He managed to pull himself together and bent down. He picked up the man and threw him as far as he could.  
  
Suddenly, Sydney noticed her shadow on the grass. Everything seemed to grow darker. She looked up at the sky and saw the sun slowly sinking into the horizon. 


	19. Chapter 19

(Author's Note: I'm sorry for this being the last chapter. But, I won't have enough time to put any more chapters after this because I must study for the dreaded exams. And I'm sorry for this being a little "short" for some people. But, like I said, I won't have the time to put up any more chapters for this for the next month and a half. Okay? So, see ya when the summer comes!)  
  
Chapter 19  
  
The source landed a punch across Neo's face. Some blood flew out of his mouth and landed on the brown dirt. Neo wiped it away and glared at the source.  
  
"Pitiful. But, after all, you are only human," the source said. "I should kill you now, but I'm curious to see how powerful this anomaly really is." He looked down at them. He stared into Neo's eyes.  
  
"You bastard," Nep spit at him. The source laughed.  
  
"You see!? That is what separates the humans from the machines. That is what separates you from me. The humans' abilities to feel and make a choice. Emotion versus reality," the source said arrogantly. "It is the very thing that destroyed the humans and allowed the machines to win." He smiled evilly. Neo punched him. His fist connected with the source's face with a loud smack. He was momentarily surprised. Then, he smirked at him.  
  
The moon poked its silvery face out from behind the clouds on the hazy blue sky. The sky turned darker and darker. Little stars twinkled behind the smokescreen of clouds. Sydney watched as they flew up into the sky, fighting. Neo took quite a beating, but he wasn't going to quit yet. She ran and jumped up the tree. She climbed through the branches until she reached the very top. Her eyes were riveted with attention on them. She watched the source as he blocked all of Neo's attacks, as if it were nothing.  
  
"I am getting bored of this. It's time to end this," the source said. He whipped his cloak aside and drew out a long dagger. He thrust it into Neo's direction. He managed to jump away. He grabbed the source's arm and threw his hand up. It hit the elbow, which made a horrible crackling noise. Then, Neo twisted around and flipped the source over his shoulder. He grabbed the dagger and in one smooth movement, plunged the dagger into the source's chest. The source looked up at Neo in surprise.  
  
A black, silvery liquid started to spread out from the dagger. It crawled up to the source's head and all over his body. He gasped for air as the liquid consumed him. It covered him completely. It hardened and then crumbled into dust. A soft warm breeze blew the dust away. Suddenly, Neo fell to the ground. Sydney clambered down the tree and ran to him. Her hand brushed against his stomach. It was bloody.  
  
"Oh, God...," she said. She looked down and saw a wound on his stomach. She quickly pressed her hands on it. It was bleeding severely. The dagger had slashed across his abdomen. A gentle rain started to fall on them. The light raindrops hit Sydney's face and shoulders. The rain slowly washed away the blood.  
  
Then, Neo started to evapourate. His legs and feet disappeared. Soon, his whole body was gone. Sydney was left kneeling on the ground, in the rain. Suddenly, the same thing started happening to her. Her feet disappeared first. Then, her legs and an invisible cloth started to cover her body. Soon, her whole body was gone and her head was left. Soon, she disappeared altogether.  
  
Sydney woke up, screaming. She found herself on the platform again. She found herself staring into the machine's red glowing eyes. The platform slowly descended back to the ground. The eyes glowed more intensely for a second. Then, the glowing slowly fading away. She remembered Neo and looked over at him. He was lying still. Trinity ran up to him. She spotted the wound and started to press on it.  
  
Neo reached up with a hand and stroked her face. Sydney stood up weakly and watched them. She wanted to help, but she recognized their love for each other and left them alone. Morpheus and the rest ran up to her.  
  
"Are you alright?" Morpheus asked her.  
  
"I am. Neo isn't," she said, pointing at him. Trinity looked pleadingly into Neo's eyes. Sydney glanced over at them. The wound was still bleeding. Neo whispered something to Trinity. She looked over at Sydney and back at Neo. Then, she motioned Sydney to come over. Sydney kneeled down beside him.  
  
"Neo..." she said softly. He opened his eyes, but barely. He smiled weakly. His wound was open and bleeding severely. Sydney put all the pressure she could onto it. He groaned in pain.  
  
"It's okay...It's okay. Please don't die," Sydney pleaded.  
  
"Hey...we all have to die some time, don't we?" Neo said, trying to smile. But, he grimaced in pain. He wanted to get up, but Sydney pushed him back down. Then, he reached into his pocket and pulled out an old, very faded piece of folded paper. He handed it to her. Sydney took it with her bloody hands.  
  
"What is it?" she asked.  
  
"Now, you can finish it. Because it's over," he said. He closed his eyes.  
  
"Neo? Neo?" Sydney whispered. She didn't want to realize the truth. She couldn't. It couldn't be true. She closed her eyes as the tears streamed down her face. As soon as the others heard her wailing, they knew. They stood there, dumbly stunned. Trinity ran to Neo and picked his head up with her hands. She kissed his cheek and softly cried. They sat there, both crying.  
  
Sydney stared at the ground, trying to stop the tears that were forcing their way to come out. She sniffed and lifted her head up, trying to look collected.  
  
"...We shall remember him always, for he is the One and the one who saved us all. We shall remember you, Neo," Councilman Hamaan said mournfully. Several people stepped up to the cold stone table that Neo was laid on. They laid flowers on him. Little children tried to reach up and dared each other to poke him. Sydney walked up after everyone was gone and laid the flower on him. She stared at his face sadly. His face was pale and blank. Trinity walked up to him and kissed his cold lips. Then, she stepped back. One of the other Council members stepped up and lit Neo's body on fire. Sydney stared as the flames licked the air greedily.  
  
That night, Sydney sat in her home in Zion. She lay down on her cot and rolled over onto her side. She heard a small crackling noise. She sat up and reached into her pocket. She pulled out the piece of paper Neo had given her. It was stained with blood from her hands when she had taken it. She walked back to desk and unfolded it. It was the picture of Neo she had drawn before she had been unplugged. A tear rolled down her cheek and landed on the paper. She wiped it away. She took out a pencil and drew Neo's eyes. She smiled. She looked down at the picture. Another tear fell on the paper and she wiped it away. She closed her eyes and remembered what it had been like with him. She didn't regret being unplugged. She didn't regret leaving her home and comfortable life. She didn't regret anything she had done. She didn't regret it because she had done it all to save herself so that she can save others. She put her pencil down and ran her fingers over the paper. It was old and wrinkled. She stared at it. Neo's eyes stared back at her. She got up and opened the door. As she did, she turned the lights off. She closed the door behind her and locked it.  
  
THE END 


End file.
